


Sins of the Father

by BannedBookReader



Series: Eldoris [4]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Violence, Child Soldiers, Child Torture, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-02-23 08:55:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23008930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BannedBookReader/pseuds/BannedBookReader
Summary: The night before she's to join the military her father's get into a blow out of an argument. This prompts Eldoris to seek out her friends in the palace. Unfortunately she runs into a former friend of her father first.Part of my Eldoris series but can be read alone.
Relationships: Kaldur'ahm/Wyynde (DCU)
Series: Eldoris [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1640815
Comments: 10
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Last warning. This shit is brutal.

Eldoris' parents rarely fought, and when they did it was never in front of her. Which made it very easy to predict when a fight was about to break out. Usually one of them would ask the other, in a very terse voice, "can I speak to you in the other room?". Then they'd both depart to have their "discussion". Usually they didn't last long, and even rarer did they raise their voices to a level that could be heard through doors. Which is what made this argument different. Even laying on her bed in her room, with her door shut, she could hear their muffled voices. She buried her face into her pillow trying to drown out the screaming. She knew it was about her, and that didn't make it any easier to bare. Eventually she accepted she couldn't keep from hearing the argument so instead she embraced it. 

Slipping out of her room and down the hall she placed an ear to her fathers' bedroom door. 

"She is a _child_ Kaldur! It wasn't right when we were kids it's not right now!"

"We have no say in the matter! We can't just keep her from joining the military!"

"That's exactly what we can do!"

"And how would you propose we do that Wyynde!?"

"It seems pretty simple to me! We just keep her home tomorrow!"

"And when they come to collect her?"

"We don't let them."

"You are being unreasonable."

" _I'm_ being unreasonable!? I'm not the one serving our daughter up on a silver platter to-"

"I'm not "serving our daughter" up to _anything_!"

"It sure seems that way!"

"What do you know of the matter?!"

"Excuse you?! Don't forget we served in the same military!"

"I think we both know our military experiences were fundamentally different." 

"Yes! And you were injured Kaldur! More than once from what you've told me! So why would you want that for Eldoris!?"

She pulled away from the door. They'd been going in circles like this for hours. She swam back to her room, her long hair flowing behind her. 

It should be her choice. Not anyone else's. And yet it was completely out of her control. And no matter how much they argued, it was out of her fathers' control as well. She should go in there and tell them that. And for a second she considered it. Barging into their room, telling them both to shut up. To let her last night home be in peace But she didn't. Instead she sat on her bed and listened. By the gods it was frustrating! She tossed her pillow at the wall, but it pushed against the current and merely floated to the ground. 

She bet Mareena's parents weren't arguing right now. Or maybe they were...maybe every 12 year old's parents in Atlantis were arguing right now. Maybe that's how it'd always been, even when Posidons and the other cities sat on the Surface. 

Her eyes ran over the pictures on her nightstand, landing on the one of her and the royal children all smushed together so that everyone was in the frame. Arthur Jr and Cerdian had already begun thier military careers. They both seemed so proud and eager at the start. Something uneasy and heavy sat in Eldoris' stomach. AJ's blank face was burned into her memory forever. 

"What's wrong with him?" Eldoris remembered asking her Papa.

"His battalion was attacked." Was Wyynde curt response. She remembered how uncomfortable he seemed.

"But he seems fine?" 

Wyynde dropped to his daughter's eye level, a serious expression on his face. "Sometimes the damage isn't physical, it's mental. And sometimes it's both. Do you understand?" 

She hadn't, and doesn't. But she knew AJ hadn't been the same since. She didn't want that for herself. She didn't want that for anybody. 

She scanned the picture again, Mareena's grinning face staring back. If Eldoris needed a friend right now, and by the gods did she, than perhaps Mareena did too. 

That decided it, she was going to spend her last night as a child not at home, but at the palace. She quickly changed out of her night clothes and into one of her preferred outfits. Ever since she'd started developing scales around her shoulders, stomach, and outer thighs she couldn't stand the way fabric caught on them. New scales were tender and britial. So she kept to shorts and sleeveless crop tops. Once on the Surface a woman had scoffed at her and muttered under her breath. But that didn't keep Eldoris from wearing what she wanted. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail, normally she'd opt for an intricate braid, but she didn't feel like messing with it tonight. 

Before she climbed out her window she stopped to listen for her parents argument. They were definitely still going at it. She couldn't ever remember them spending so much time on one fight. 

Closing the window behind her she slid out into Posidons. It was an impressive city during the day, but at night, when no light trickled down from the Surface, it was eerie. Still, the window had probably locked behind her, and she wasn't going to knock to be let back in, so she didn't have another choice but go to the palace. Well, she could always go to her grandparent's house but it seemed rude to bother them so late. 

Making her way to the palace took longer than expected. She had always assumed she could make it there with her eyes closed. But in the dim lights she doubted every move she made. Eventually though she made it to the impressive doors. 

"Excuse me little lady, but isn't it a little late for you to be out and about?" One of the guards asked. He'd moved his spear to actively block the door, and his partner did the same. 

"I'm here to see Princess Mareena." 

"The Princess isn't taking visitors tonight and anyway no one informed us of you coming."

"It was a last minute decision." 

The guards exchanged a look. It felt rather condescending to Eldoris.

"Kid, go home, or one of us will have to escort you. And then we'd have to explain to your parents that you were roaming around the city by yourself at night."

An argument burned the back of her throat, but that would be a waste of time so instead she swam off, determined to find another way into the palace. 

"Excuse me little one, but may I ask _why_ you want to see the Princess?" A man's voice broke out behind her. She spun around, twisting the water that surrounded her. He was an elegant looking man, wearing Royal robes and with slicked back yellow hair. But there was something off about him. The way he held himself maybe? Or his tight smile?

"She's my friend." 

"Ah yes, the Royal Children, friends to all."

"No. She really is my friend. My father's work in the palace. They're friends with the king." 

He didn't seem to believe her, instead he tilted his head to the side. "Oh? And what are their names?"

"Kaldur'ahm and Wyynde." She was losing patience with this man, and was tempted to swim off before he had a chance to ask any more questions. But something unrecognizable crossed over his face when she told him who her parents were, and curiosity took over. 

"Really?! You know I went to school with them?"

"How would I know that?" 

"You're feisty. Tell you what. I'll get you into the palace!" 

Hope and relief flooded Eldoris. She wouldn't have to spend her last night alone after all. Could this man really get her in? He was wearing royal robes after all. It was possible. 

"Why would you do that?" She wasn't a fool however.

"Who am I to keep a girl away from her friend? Especially a girl of such... _fine_ pedigree?"

Her stomach flipped at that. Was this guy going out of his way to be creepy? 

"Actually. Now that I think about it. I really should have called first. Let me run home and do that, then if it's okay I'll come back."

"Nonsense little one! Call them at my office, we'd need to stop there to get the clearance anyway. No point in making two trips." He smiled at her, and it was somehow reassuring. 

"You really knew my fathers?"

"Of course! Well, I was much closer with Wyynde than Kaldur'ahm but I knew him none the less." 

Eldoris hadn't realised they'd been moving through the water while they talked. She looked over her shoulder but didn't recognize her surroundings. The man had placed his hand on her shoulder and was roughly running his thumb over her scales. They were tender and his movements really hurt. She pulled away and was relieved that he didn't fight her. 

"Sir, where are we?"

"On our way to my office of course. Just keep close." 

She had her doubts that keeping close ment keeping safe, but between getting lost in Posidons and staying with this man. Well even comparing them she wasn't sure which was better. 

"Do you have a name?" She asked. Maybe if she'd heard a story about him in the past she'd be less nervous. He stopped in front of shabby looking building. If she had to guess it was barely being held up the coral around it. Surely this wasn't his office? 

"Ronal." He placed his hand on the doorknob, something about him suddenly seemed tense. 

"Never heard of you." 

He let out a surprised laugh. "Really? Wyynde never mentioned me?"

"No. Why? Should he have?"

"I suppose not. We used to run in the same circle is all. Would you like to see that circle?" 

"Um." 

Before she could give an actual answer his hand was on her shoulder again and he was pulling her into the building. His nails were digging into her scales, causing a fiery pain to shoot down her arm. Trying to pull out of the grip only made it worse. 

The building was barley a room, held up with barnacle covered support beams. In the back of the room was a make shift throne, with a scraggly looking man resting there. His black hair was greasy even in the ocean water, and he had a sickly looking scar running across his throat. He held onto a trident like it was the only thing holding him to the water. 

"What is _this_?" He asked, voice raspy. Like someone had taken his vocial chords apart and put them back together. 

"A gift for you my lord. Aquaman's daughter!" Ronal said, he pulled her in front of him and somehow tightened his grip. She felt one of her scales snap under the pressure and inhaled sharply. The water around her tasted stagnant. Not surprising considering the building probably didn't have a proper ventilation system. 

"Are you a fool or just plain stupid?" The man with the trident leaned forward. A dangerous look on his face.

"Sir?" 

"What are we supposed to do with her exactly?"

"Well...the same thing we usually do with the impure?" 

"Who are you calling "impure" you fish seducing creep!" She tried to pull away again, but he was so much stronger than her, and her arms were so tender she couldn't put up much of a fight. 

"You want to scar Kaldur'ahm daughter? And then what? Let her leave?" 

"Are you telling me to kill her my lord? Because I will." He sounded positively giddy. Eldoris felt her stomach tighten. She glanced around the shabby room. Most of the people there were wearing red robes, some with their hoods up. Those who's faces she could see were either very entertained, or completely disinterested. There had to be someone here who had some sympathy. Then she saw him. A man in the back who looked almost...panicked? Somehow he seemed kind. They locked eyes but before she could do anything Ronal twisted her arm. "We could always leave her body on the steps of palace."

"We could. We could also send my brother a letter saying "please come arrest us". We need to be tactful Ronal. Just you bringing her here moves up our timeline an uncomfortable amount." 

"I. I'm sorry sir." 

"Don't waste your breath. Clearly you need all the oxygen your simple brain can get." The man leaned back in his throne. Tapping the armrest, he seemed to fall into thought. 

"You could let me go. I won't tell anyone. Not even my parents. I promise!"

"Do you actually think I believe that?" The man asked. 

She did her best to shrug. Glacing around the water she started looking for the one sympathetic face. He was gone. This situation just kept getting worse. She should have stayed home. Or done literally anything else than what she did do. 

"I've decided," The man leaned forward and Ronal straightened up some. "We'll kill her and blame it on Xebel. Hila has been less than cooperative as of late and a good war always makes for a distraction." 

Eldoris had picked up on the pattern already and knew not to try and pull away. But by the gods did she want to. There had to be a way out of this situation. There _had_ to be. 

"Yes my lord. And how will we do that?" 

"Oh. You have your fun and I'll take care the rest. No point in punishing you for trying to help I suppose."

The sick grin that spread across Ronal's face was almost as bad as his grip. "Thank you my lord." 

"Hmm." 

And with that she was being dragged away again, towards a hole in the floor. 

"Wait!" Surprise rocked her when Ronal actually stopped. 

"What?"

"You're going to do your worst right?"

"So you were paying attention?" 

Eldoris swallowed her nerves and swung as hard as she could with her free arm. It was a call to the gods she knew, but she had to do _something_. Her fist collided with his face and in his shock he dropped her arm. She lunged for the door, hope somehow slipping in, and was immediately tackled to the floor by someone in a red robe. She was dragged up by her hair, and let out a surprised scream. The whole time the man on the throne was laughing. 

"You truly are Kaldur'ahm's daughter! Ronal, as tempting as it may be, leave her face alone. I want them to recognize her immediately." 

"Sir! She hit me!"

"I know. You deserved it." 

Ronal let out a low growl, before taking Eldoris' hair from the robed person. He dragged her down the hole, with her kicking a screaming the whole way. She was tempted to cut her hair, but she didn't have anything to use. He tossed her into the center of the room, into a circle of crystals. She couldn't move, no matter how much she struggled, not even her gills would flap. 

"Now I know what you're thinking," Ronal began moving to the edge of the circle and swimming down to pick something off the floor. "Paralysis charms, when conducted in a circle like this, lose their power very quickly, comparatively. You're right. That's what these are for." He held up a cuff on a rusted chain. Under the rust she could just make out engravings of ruins. 

In her head she screamed for any part of her to move, but it didn't work. She only moved when he dragged her to where he wanted her to be, locking in her ankles and wrists. Her arms were spread out above her head. She didn't like swearing, in the future she might, but she'd never been faced with a situation she felt deserved it. Until now. And if she could have moved her tongue, she would have used every swear word she'd ever heard, from the Surface to the Trench. 

He placed a hand on her exposed stomach. At first nothing happened, then her entire abdomen started to grow warm. She wanted nothing more than to squirm but couldn't. The tip of her tongue and her eyes began to move, but nothing else did. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, the heat seemed to be coming from inside her. And then it stopped. Slowly she opened her eyes to look at the bastard. 

"Can you speak yet?" He asked. Even if she could she wouldn't answer him. "Oh? Oh well." 

He ran a hand over the scales on her stomach. She gasped out in pain when began pulling on one of them. "Does that hurt? Huh." With one sharp pull pain returned to her stomach and a small amount of her blood start inking into the water. She tried to pull away from his grip, but her abdomen still wasn't moving. He tossed the orange scale at her face. It bounced off her nose before floating gently to the floor. 

"How many scales do you think you have exactly? Maybe we should find out? I'll count them before I send them to Wyynde." 

She couldn't make words yet, but her angry scream seemed to get the message through. He smirked at her before removing a few more scales, bouncing each one off her face. "Did he really not mention me? I'm almost insulted. But then again, he's so far up his own ass anymore, that he probably wouldn't want his "daughter" to know about his _seedy_ history." 

Ronal moved away from her for a moment. Looking over her like he wasn't sure what he wanted to do next. "You know we really did used to be friends. That's what makes this so much fun for me. After he turned himself in he gave away all our secrets. We've been rebuilding ever since." 

Eldoris continued to glare at him. She could probably speak a little at this point, but the more he reminisced the less he was hurting her. 

He swam up to her face. "Do you know Topo?"

She frowned at him, but if he noticed he didn't acknowledge it. 

"You know that _nasty_ scar he has? I'd love to give you one, but if we're blaming this on Xebel I can't really. Anyway. That scar. I know you know it. Wyynde was there when it happened," He reached up and grabbed her chin twisting her face towards him. "Actually, it's more than that. Not only was he there. He let it happen. He cheered it on!"

"Liar!" She barely managed to get the word out, her throat was tight, but not from the spell. That couldn't be true. It couldn't be.

"I am a lot of things. A liar is not one of them." He moved down and started to uncurl her first. She tried to fight it, knowing the delicate webbing in between her fingers was the target. She didn't even like brushing it against things that typically felt good. The nerves were just to sensitive. The spell was still effecting her hands and feet though and she couldn't stop him.

Her ran a fingernail down the webbing, causing the parts of her body that could move to twist. 

"Is it true there's over 100 thousand nerve endings in your webbing here?" With one fast motion he'd torn the tender flesh, more blood seeped into the water, and she was sure they could hear her screams upstairs. Ronal let out a scoff. "I guess so. Just another weakness you people have." 

Eldoris didn't pray often. She found it incredibly boring, but in this moment she prayed to any god her parents might have. For anything really that would lead to her freedom. She hoped they could hear her on the first floor, and that the man with the kind eyes would feel something. Anything. And come down and help. 

"Again. This really is Wyynde's fault. As much fun as I'm having, imagining his face really is the real award here. So when he joins you in the underworld, I want you to tell him that, can you do that for me?" 

She clenched her teeth, both in pain and denial. He was tormenting her. There was no way her Papa had ever been involved with these people. 

"He sent me to jail you know?" That she believed. "I got out of course. Political favors you know? But still. Do you know what that can do to a person's self esteem?" 

"Are you completely unaware or just a troll?"

"A troll?"

She wasn't proud, but she loved him not knowing something she did. "It's a Surface expression."

"Oh." He nodded gently, the water moving with his head. Then without any warning he was digging a knife into her arm. She hadn't even seen him pull it from his belt. She pinched her eyes closed, determined not to scream. She felt him lean in. "We aren't on the Surface. This is Atlantis."

"You're just mad you wouldn't last a minute up there. To dumb to figure out how to breathe." She struggled out, impressed with herself. 

He slid the knife out of her arm, slowly, the blade catching on her scales and pulling them roughly. "You're the one who's going to have trouble breathing. You know what the issue is with gills?" 

No. 

He wouldn't. 

He absolutely would. 

She pulled frantically at the chains, hoping by some hope one of them would come loose. 

"They're literally slits covering little bitty holes directly into your throat."

"Please. Don't." 

"I wonder what would happen if I made those holes a little bit bigger?" 

He angled the knife, almost gently, against her throat. One hand holding her head still, the other sliding the blade against the middle flap on her neck on the right side. 

"Let's find out." 

Just as he began to push in the knife, the sounds of chaos broke out upstairs. They both jumped, roughly jolting the knife into her gills. She wanted to scream, but the blood pouring into her throat kept it from happening. Her body fell into shock almost immediately. She couldn't process anything that had happened. 

Ronal had been pulled violently away from her. She couldn't tell if her brain was making her see what she wanted, or if that really was Wyynde beating the spirit out of her captor. It was real. Her dad had placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You're going to be okay now." Kaldur whispered. Suddenly there was a seering pain in her ankle. She tried to scream but blood strangled it. "Stop! The chains are enchanted!" Kaldur moved quickly over her to stop a man from doing whatever it was he was doing to the chains. It was the man with the kind eyes. He was wearing the royal crest. He was an undercover agent. Thank the gods.

Everything started to fade out. The Royal Nurse was by her side. But that was the last thing she processed before completely fading out. 

She awoke a few times in the hospital. Never quite knowing what was happening. Every time she woke up she felt her father's holding her hands. Once or twice only one was there, but never was she alone. 

The first time she faded in, she heard what sounded like crying. She didn't know who it was. The next time she could hear her grandparent's voices. She wasn't sure if they were talking to her or her parents. And it went like this. She'd wake up a little, hear someone's voice; La'gaan, the Royal Family, Garth, so on and on, then she'd go under again. 

She didn't dream. And she didn't process passing of time. For all she knew this had all happened in one night. 

Then at last, she was able to keep her eyes open. On her right was her dad. His normally close shaved head had grown out some, and he had stubble developing across his face. On her left was her papa. He also had stubble running across his face, his own hair pulled into a sloppy bun. Both looked absolutely exhausted. 

She had barely had time to process all this before Wyynde had wrapped his arms around her. 

"Papa." She choked out. Her throat was ungodly sore. Then she remembered. Her heart stopped, her breathing, which already was having issues, stuggled even further along. Oh gods. Oh gods. That had all happened. All of it. She was so dumb. How had she let this happen? She felt the sob tear through her throat, it burned but she couldn't stop crying. The ocean ate her tears, but that didn't keep them from coming. Wyynde held her tight, Kaldur kept a firm grasp on her hand, pressing it against his lips. Eventually her cries died down and Wyynde pulled away. Kaldur kept holding on though, like if he let go she'd fade away. 

"Oh angelfish." Wyynde whispered. "I am so-"

"Is it true?" The words struggled out, catching on sharp angles. 

She watched his face crumble. "Yes." 

She pulled her hand away from him. It looked like she'd slapped him. Kaldur gently tightened his grip. He hadn't said anything.

What was there to say? He'd married someone who once tortured his friends. Her stomach twisted violently. She pulled her other hand away. Kaldur made a noise like he'd been strangled. Guilt started to eat at her, but in the end her pain won out. 

"I think I want to be alone..."

Wyynde opened his mouth to speak but he was interrupted by Kaldur. "Of course." 

He rose slowly and motioned for Wyynde to follow. They did exactly what she asked. 

She was alone.


	2. Chapter 2

Eldoris didn't actually know how much time she spent in the hospital. Even once she could stay awake, it was only for a few minutes at a time. She remembered clearly one time she awoke and her Papa was at her side. He was talking to her, clearly assuming she was asleep, so she pretended she still was and just listened. 

"... but what was I supposed to say? How was I supposed to approach this? I should have...I know that now. But. But I really need you to forgive me. That may be selfish. It probably is..." Wyynde trailed off for a moment. She felt his hand gently grasp her bandaged one. "What I am trying to say is... I love you. And I would never try to hurt you. And I am so so so sorry for any part my past had in this. And I need you to know there is not a day that goes by that I don't regret that past."

He kept talking, but she had faded out of consciousness again. 

When she was released from the hospital, it was less because she was better, and more that they needed the room. She only remembered being carried home in bits and pieces. People stopped her parents on their way to give condolences. One person took her hand and she barely remembered pulling it away. Being touched by strangers wasn't exactly high on her list of things that she wanted.

Her bedroom hadn't changed at all. Not surprising, considering no one had probably been in there since that night. It was weirdly nice. 

"Morning sweetheart." Sha'lain'a' voice broke through Eldoris' sleepy haze a few days after her return home. She knew her grandmother had visited her in the hospital, but her memories of it were more like broken peices of glass that didn't fit together. 

"Talking's...hard." 

"That's okay. I want to tell you something. But first, you trust me right?"

Eldoris gave a confused nod. 

"And you love me?"

"Of course." Her words sounded strangled. 

"Alright. Now that that's cleared up. Have you heard of Black Manta?"

Eldoris frowned. Where was this going? She was barely conscious and definitely wasn't seeing the segway. Still though, she gave a small nod and pointed to a picture of AJ on the nightstand. If she didn't know better she'd have thought her grandmother flinched. 

And then Sha'lain'a began to explain. What started out as a seemingly unrelated story about her childhood morphed into a tale Eldoris could barely comprehend. About a young Surface dweller with a political mission. About a sense of duty and young love. About regrets. 

"You hurt people." Eldoris felt sick. First her Papa and now this. 

"Yes. But that was a different me. People grow and change little one. I am not certain I could look that version of me in the eyes for long. Just as Wyynde now, probably can't look his younger self in the eyes." 

"I-I'd like to go back to sleep now..." Gods did her throat hurt, and she felt tears build up behind her eyes. 

Sha'lain'a gave a small nod and was out of the small bedroom before Eldoris could fully comprehend any movement. Her entire world was falling apart one person at a time. She squeezed her eyes as tightly shut as she could manage, and eventually sleep took over again. When she opened them her room was darker and her Dad was floating by her closet. He'd shaved shortly after they arrived home, or at least it seemed that way to her, and so now he looked more like the put together man she'd grown up with. 

She swallowed, causing her throat to scream out in pain. "Have you come to confess to an awful past too?" It didn't come out as smooth as she would have liked, but at least none of her words got lost. 

"We can go over my crimes later," She couldn't tell if he was joking. "I felt you deserved to know... Ronal did not survive his injuries. He will not hurt anyone else." 

"Good." 

"I'm inclined to agree." 

Kaldur moved slowly towards her before lowering himself to the floor next to her bed. Carefully he took Eldoris' bandaged hand in his. Neither said anything and she let her eyes drift close. 

Over the next month her strength returned to her in bits and pieces. Some days were better than others. The first panic attack came when she insisted on changing her own bandages. It was the first time she'd seen herself in the mirror and she could barely recognize the girl looking back. 

She'd always been pale, especially when compared to her fathers, but now she could see the veins running under her skin. Deep purple bags hung under her, now pale, blue eyes. An ugly bruise seeped out from under her bandages and climbed up the side of her jaw above her gills. She'd tossed herself into the hall to get away from the reflection. Her Papa, who'd largely been respecting her need for space, laid a hand on her back. He was telling her something. To do something. Something about her breathing. But her mind was swimming with memories she'd pushed down. 

He carefully grabbed her face and forced her to look at him. 

"Breathe with your mouth and hold it." 

He couldn't be serious? Sure she _could_ breathe underwater with her nose and mouth, but it was troublesome and slightly uncomfortable. But he was so serious, and his look of shame was replaced with a mild panic, so she did what he said. She took in as much salt water as she could and pushed it down, feeling it filter out backwards through her working gills. She held the air in until he told her to release it, and somehow, it'd worked. She'd calmed down some. She laid her, suddenly very heavy, head on his chest.

"I'm still mad at you." She murmured.

"I know." He ran a calloused hand through her hair. 

From that point on, she didn't kick him out of her room as soon as he'd given her her medication. But she also didn't hold any conversations with him either. 

"Rise and shine sunfish!" AJ's voice broke her out of her sleep. Of all the people she'd expected to visit, she was sure he was on the otherside of the ocean. 

"You're home?"

"Just for a few days." He smiled down at her before plopping on the bed next to her. He'd gained some muscle, and his normally unkept hair actually seemed _brushed_. "You know, there are easier ways to get out of military duty?"

"Very funny."

"Truly though, how are you?" His voice and face soften some. 

She shook her head ever so slightly and laid it on his chest. She felt him let out a low "hum". 

"We're looking for my uncle. He managed to escape in the chaos. But we'll find him."

"Yeah." 

She wasn't interested in talking justice in this moment. Rather, she wanted to relish in any time she could spend with her friend. After all, it was her desire to be with her friends that causeed this whole mess. 

True to his word, AJ was only home a couple of days. But he visited every single one. Mareena had sent letters with him talking about anything and eveything except what had happened. Ridiculous things like the different kinds of fish where she was stationed, or how she was convinced that even though she was just two days travel away, the water seemed saltier. Eldoris wasn't sure she'd ever be able to express what the letters meant to her. 

After her friend had left again, Eldoris realized just how much of a pain it was to brush her hair. She'd had the Prince doing it and quickly got used to it. But she was left handed, and with the current state of her left hand, it made things difficult. So that's when she bit the metaphorical bullet and made her way to the living room. She wasn't surprised to see Kaldur surrounded by documents and tapping away at a tablet, but the familiarity of it was jarring. 

"Um..."

Kaldur's head jerked up at the noise. She watched as his shoulders immediately relaxed upon seeing who it was. She held up the brush in her good hand. A small smile slipped across his face and he nodded. 

He had always been remarkably gentle when it came to brushing her hair, but even more so now. His slow deliberate movements were incredibly relaxing. 

"Eldoris. I think we need to talk."

"I don't want too."

"I know." 

"I guess I can't stop _you_ from talking. But I don't have to respond."

"I suppose that's true." They sat in silence another moment longer before he began again. "You don't have the whole story-"

"The story where you married a man who hurt your friends?" 

His hands froze in her hair. "That's not- Wyynde never directly hurt anyone..."

"Directly." 

"I thought you were going to listen?"

"That's not what I said." 

His sigh was so soft she didn't hear it, but she stilll felt the disruption of water on the back of her head. 

"Will you do me the favor of listening?" His voice was still calm and steady. She nodded slightly, and not just because it was starting to hurt to talk. "Thank you. I suppose I should start at the beginning..."

"Probably a good place." 

"When I was younger, I was on an undercover mission. I saved the world. But...but the mission wasn't without causalities..." 

Her fists tightened but she didn't say anything. She was a girl of her word after all. She'd listen. 

"At the same time I was on my mission, Wyynde was finishing his time in prison. It's important to note, he was there of his own accord. The way I heard the story, he swam up to the palace and asked to speak to the head of the guard. He not only turned himself in, he brought in enough evidence to take down a majority of the Purists operations. He gave up anyone he'd ever considered a friend at the time. 

By the time I returned home Wyynde had started work at the palace. But our paths didn't cross again-"

"Again?" 

"I have to assume we interacted as teenagers."

"Oh." 

"Anyway. It wasn't until Bl- David, my biological father, attacked the palace with the intent to kidnap Arthur Jr that we met again. Wyynde, despite not being apart of the Royal Guard, heard the first explosion and went to protect the Prince. He took him to the Tunnels under the palace. When I got to the Prince's room and saw evidence that the secret door has been opened, and the Prince was gone, I went to the Tunnels myself. At first we assumed each other an enemy, but when he saw the King's Crest he handed over the Prince. Unfortunately, David knew about the tunnels-"

"How?"

"Do you truly want me to answer that?"

"No."

"Alright then. Long story short, he fought to keep me and Arthur Jr. safe. Even though he was a civilian. It stood out to me. After the... situation... had been resolved I found him in the Statute Garden."

"He loves that place."

"Yes. He was praying. To the this day I don't know why, but I asked him what he was praying for. He told me forgiveness. I assumed he meant because we lost the Price in the Tunnels. I told him that wasn't his fault, but he corrected me. He told me everything. He didn't have to do that."

"And so what? You decided him being honest meant you were going to jump his bones?" 

Kaldur gently pulled her head back so that she could see his disapproving look, he was still her dad after all. "Not quite. But I did appreciate the honesty. More than that, in the Tunnels, he could have easily left me or the Prince to die. After all, neither of us exactly fit the Purists world view. But he was ready to die for both of us. 

People change my daughter. For better and for worse. That's something you need to understand."

"So you forgave him? One hundred percent?" 

"Not one hundred percent, no. I'm not sure that's possible no matter how much I love him. But mostly, yes." 

"Am I a bad person for being angry?" 

"Absolutely not." 

"I think I still am."

"Angry?

She nodded slightly. 

"You may always be angry. And that's on us. Me and your father I mean. But anger is one of those things that gets easier to live with. It dies down if you don't feed it and make strides to keep it from festering." 

"I don't want to be angry anymore...It's been months." 

"My best advice? Pick one thing you're mad about. No matter how big or small. And forgive whoever or whatever was responsible." 

She thought for a while. There were so many things and so many people she was mad at. And try as she might, she couldn't bring herself to forgive herself. Or her fathers.

"I've got it."

"Hmm?" He'd began braiding her hair, and the rhythmic movements continued to keep her nerves at bay. 

"The guards at the palace, who wouldn't let me in. I'll forgive them." 

"Does that feel better?"

"I'm not sure. Should it?"

"Everyone is different. It may not. But hate is a heavy thing to carry." 

"I don't hate anyone." Well that wasn't entirely true, but the person she hated was dead now. 

"Well Wyynde will be relieved to hear that." 

She spun around as quick as her injured body would let her. She still had scales growing back on her stomach and they hadn't worn their edges down just yet, so if she wasn't careful she'd accidentally poke herself. "He thinks I hate him?" 

Kaldur didn't say anything. Instead he ran a gentle hand over her cheek. 

And then she was crying again. She was so sick of crying, and being angry, and hurting, and finding out she'd been lied too. Her fists curled around her Dad's shirt. He stroked her hair, which had largely fallen out of the unfinished braid. "I'm tired." She managed to choke out. "How do I fix this?" 

"I don't know if this is something that gets fixed. Not completely." 

"Then what do I _do_?!" 

"Well... I'm not sure." 

"Give me something. Even if it's something I'll hate." 

He pursued his lips at that. "I...maybe tonight you could join us for dinner instead of eating in your room?" 

She sniffed. She _was_ getting rather sick of her bedroom. She gave a slow nod.

"Dory. There's one more thing I need you to understand."

"Yeah?"

"I'm so sorry. More than I can put into words."

"I know." She rubbed her face with the back of her hand. "I know that. And I wish there was something I could do about that. But I don't think there is." 

"There isn't." 

The sound of the front door being opened startled them both. Kaldur's shoulders tensed until Wyynde announced himself. Eldoris quietly wished she'd never be as anxious as her Dad. He placed a light kiss on her forehead before rising to go greet his husband. On his way out he stopped at the door and turned back to her. 

"One more thing I think you should do?"

"Yeah?"

"Talk to him." 

He didn't really give her a chance to respond before disappearing down the hallway. 

Sure people change, but does that make what they did in the past irrelevant? But her grandparents had also done terrible things, and she wasn't angry with them. Not anymore. Not the same way at least. How was it different? It must be though. She should have asked her Dad if he was angry with them. He must have been right? But they were still so close. She swallowed. Her throat really burned, and she wasn't exactly in the mood for another emotional conversation. But still she rose up from her bed and made her way to the kitchen. Normally if anyone was in there it was full of noise and conversation. But today it was quite. She wondered if it'd been quite since she'd come home. 

"Papa?" 

Wyynde's head shot up from where he was chopping, what appeared to be a surface vegetable? Gods of all the nights to rejoin her family she picked his night to cook. Kaldur was sitting on the counter behind him, and for a split second he looked almost relieved.

"Yes?" Wyynde's voice was tight, like he was expecting something horrible to come next. 

"I was wondering. Tomorrow would you like to go to the Statute Garden? I'd like to speak to you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments appreciated and welcome

**Author's Note:**

> What? Did you think this series would stay happy? Lol don't worry chapter 2 will be a bit brighter. 
> 
> Comments appreciated and welcome.


End file.
